Satire in Music
Born In The U.S.A by Bruce Springsteen is an example of satire in music. Just by reading the title of this song most people would think its a patriotic song and about being proud to be born in the U.S.A but it is just the opposite. This song is talking about a young boy who got in some trouble and so he got sent to the Vietnam War: "I got in a little hometown jam..And so they put a rifle in my hand..Sent me off to a foreign land..To go and kill the yellow man".
Subterranean Homesick Blues by Bob Dylan is another example of satire in music. In this song there are a lot of references to drugs two examples of this are: "Don't try, 'No Doz'..Better stay away from those..That carry around a fire hose..Keep a clean nose" and "Johny's in the basement..Mixing up the medicine" both of those statements have to do with drugs.
With God On Our Side by Bob Dylan is also an example of satire in music. It talks about a lot of war and how he doesnt understand the real reason why we even go to war. 'Oh the First World War, boys..It closed out its fate..The reason for fighting..I never got straight".
Blowin' in the Wind by Bob Dylan is another exampl of satire in music. In each stanza there is a bunch of questions and at the end of each stanza it says "The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind,..The answer is blowin' in the wind." Meaning that the answers to these questions are unknown. Also it says that the reason for war us unknown two examples of this are "Yes, 'n' how many times must the cannon balls fly..Before they're forever banned?" and "Yes, 'n' how many deaths will it take till he knows..That too many people have died?".
Outside a Small Circle of Friends by Phil Ochs is also an example of satire. The song is upbeat but is actually just the opposite in every stanza its a bad situation and ends with "And i'm sure it wouldn't interest anybody..Outside of a small circle of friends". Meaning that in todays world people do not want to get involved with situations unless they know them personally. An example of people not wanting to get involved is in the second stanza it says: " Riding down the highway, yes, my back is getting stiff..Thirteen cars are piled up, they're hanging on a cliff..Maybe we should pull them back with our towing chain..But we gotta move and we might get sued and it looks like it's gonna rain." This song also refers to the murder of Kitty Genovese: "Look outside the window, there's a woman being grabbed..They've dragged her to the bushes and now she's being stabbed..Maybe we should call the cops and try to stop the pain..But monopoly is so much fun, i'd hate to blow the game"
Hero of War by Rise Aganist is another example of satire and irony in music. It talks about war and how there are hard situations that you have to go through. He is saying he will be a "hero of war" but then it expalins how he kills people and thats ironic because a "hero" helps people not kills people. A example of this is : "She walked through bullets and haze..I asked her to stop..I begged her to stay..But she pressed on..So I lifted my gun..And I fired away" and then goes to say "A hero of war..Yeah that's what I'll be..And when I come home..They'll be damn proud of me..I'll carry this flag..To the grave if I must..Because it's a flag that I love..And a flag that I trust".
Shuttin' Detriot Down by John Rich is another example of satire in music. This song explains how there are middle class people who work very hard for there money especially in these tough times these days and then there are these rich people with millions of dollars in New York and D.C. An example of this is after each stanza it says "Cause in the real world there shutting Detroit down..While the boss man takes his bonus pay and jets out of town..And DC’s bailing out the bankers as the farmers auction ground,..Yeah while they’re living it up on Wall Street in that New York City town,..Here in the real world there shuttin’ Detroit down..They’re shuttin’ Detroit down.”
Born In The U.S.A by Bruce Springsteen is an example of satire in music. Just by reading the title of this song most people would think its a patriotic song and about being proud to be born in the U.S.A but it is just the opposite. This song is talking about a young boy who got in some trouble and so he got sent to the Vietnam War: "I got in a little hometown jam..And so they put a rifle in my hand..Sent me off to a foreign land..To go and kill the yellow man". Subterranean Homesick Blues by Bob Dylan is another example of satire in music. In this song there are a lot of references to drugs two examples of this are: "Don't try, 'No Doz'..Better stay away from those..That carry around a fire hose..Keep a clean nose" and "Johny's in the basement..Mixing up the medicine" both of those statements have to do with drugs. With God On Our Side by Bob Dylan is also an example of satire in music. It talks about a lot of war and how he doesnt understand the real reason why we even go to war. 'Oh the First World War, boys..It closed out its fate..The reason for fighting..I never got straight". |
| bob_dylan_biography.jpg image by Saltlick |
Outside a Small Circle of Friends by Phil Ochs is also an example of satire. The song is upbeat but is actually just the opposite in every stanza its a bad situation and ends with "And i'm sure it wouldn't interest anybody..Outside of a small circle of friends". Meaning that in todays world people do not want to get involved with situations unless they know them personally. An example of people not wanting to get involved is in the second stanza it says: " Riding down the highway, yes, my back is getting stiff..Thirteen cars are piled up, they're hanging on a cliff..Maybe we should pull them back with our towing chain..But we gotta move and we might get sued and it looks like it's gonna rain." This song also refers to the murder of Kitty Genovese: "Look outside the window, there's a woman being grabbed..They've dragged her to the bushes and now she's being stabbed..Maybe we should call the cops and try to stop the pain..But monopoly is so much fun, i'd hate to blow the game"Hero of War by Rise Aganist is another example of satire and irony in music. It talks about war and how there are hard situations that you have to go through. He is saying he will be a "hero of war" but then it expalins how he kills people and thats ironic because a "hero" helps people not kills people. A example of this is : "She walked through bullets and haze..I asked her to stop..I begged her to stay..But she pressed on..So I lifted my gun..And I fired away" and then goes to say "A hero of war..Yeah that's what I'll be..And when I come home..They'll be damn proud of me..I'll carry this flag..To the grave if I must..Because it's a flag that I love..And a flag that I trust".Shuttin' Detriot Down by John Rich is another example of satire in music. This song explains how there are middle class people who work very hard for there money especially in these tough times these days and then there are these rich people with millions of dollars in New York and D.C. An example of this is after each stanza it says "Cause in the real world there shutting Detroit down..While the boss man takes his bonus pay and jets out of town..And DC’s bailing out the bankers as the farmers auction ground,..Yeah while they’re living it up on Wall Street in that New York City town,..Here in the real world there shuttin’ Detroit down..They’re shuttin’ Detroit down.”